Two treatises of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs. The first of earthly-mindedness

5. Through some predominate lust some other way, A man may seem to despise some earthly thing: As many men that have a lust of Ambition, will seem to despise money; that hath a lust to show themselves to be generous; and those that have a lust of sensuality will seem to despise the things of the world? many a man through one lust will seem as if he would hate the other, though the truth is, he doth not hate it as a sin, but for the practice of it his heart is against it, not (I say) from the dislike of it as a sin against God, ⟨p. 53⟩but because it is opposite to some other lust that he hath; as your Prodigals, your Young Spendthrifts, they will speak against covetousness as if they hated that sin, whereas the truth is, no wicked man hates any sin any further than one sin crosses another, so much he may hate it but not as a sin, in the 13. of Isa. 17. Behold (saith the text) I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver, and as for gold they shall not delight in it: the Medes they were Heathen wicked people that had no grace in them at all, and yet (the text saith) they shall not regard silver, and for gold they shall not delight in it; some men they think it i• through the work of grace, and because they find that they are above that base covetousness that they see in other men, they do not regard silver and gold, and to be getting all for themselves, and they despise those men that are of such a base covetous way, and upon that they think their condition good because they think they are got above that lust; but ye see it is no other than that a Mede may get, a Heathen may disregard silver and gold, but how? it is because his spirit is upon another lust, that's the ground of it: canst thou say this, (consider what I am now upon) you that seem to scorn Covetousness and hate such base sordidness as you see in some men: can you say, it comes from hence, The Lord hath made me to see the excellent things of the Gospel, the treasures of grace that are fountained up in Jesus Christ:

5. Through some predominate lust some other way, A man may seem to despise some earthly thing: As manie men that have a lust of Ambition, will seem to despise money; that hath a lust to shew themselves to be generous; and those that have a lust of sensualitie will seem to despise the things of the world? manie a man through one lust will seem as if he would hate the other, though the truth is, he doth not hate it as a sin, but for the practice of it his heart is against it, not (I say) from the dislike of it as a sin against God,